Steve Laube

Fun Fridays – April 24, 2026

By Steve Laubeon April 24, 2026

Today’s video is quite unusual. Watch an artist who uses a hammer on glass to create portraits. You have to see it to believe it.

I am constantly amazed by the outrageous creativity of the human mind. Whether one will acknowledge it or not, we are made in the image of God. And, therefore, to quote Tolkien, we can become sub-creators in our art. To quote David Downing, from his excellent article, “Sub-creation or Smuggled Theology“:

Tolkien could view sub-creation as a form of worship, a way for creatures to express the divine image in them by becoming creators.

Food for thought.

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5 Questions Your Proposal Must Answer: Question 2

By Steve Laubeon April 20, 2026

Is Your Idea a Book or a Magazine Article? Not every good idea is a book-length idea. This can be a challenge for any writer to accept. A nonfiction book requires breadth, depth, and durability. It must sustain a reader’s attention over 40,000 to 60,000 words (or more) without thinning out or repeating itself. Many proposals begin with a compelling premise; but when examined closely, they …

Category: 5 Questions Every Proposal Must Answer, Book Proposals

Fun Fridays – April 17, 2026

By Steve Laubeon April 17, 2026

Enjoy today’s video of a solo guitarist. It is wonderful to watch a gifted artist maximizing their creativity. Notice a couple things. (1) He is left-handed. That is rare to see because most guitars are strung for a right-handed player. I know I’m showing ignorance here, but that was a delight to observe. (2) He uses so many difficult techniques that if you close your eyes they might …

Category: Fun Fridays

5 Questions Your Proposal Must Answer: Question 1

By Steve Laubeon April 13, 2026

Is Your Audience/Platform Big Enough? This platform question is one of the more aggravating and frustrating issues most writers face. Either they try to explain it away, overestimate it, or avoid it entirely. A publisher is not asking whether your topic has a large audience in theory. They are asking whether you can reach enough of that audience in practice. There is a difference. Many proposals …

Category: Book Proposals

Fun Fridays – April 10, 2026

By Steve Laubeon April 10, 2026

Back before Captain Cook sailed the Seven Seas, I went to high school in Honolulu. (I know, someone’s gotta do it.) Today’s video was something I never knew about the state of Hawaii. Enjoy the trivia! (If you can’t see the video in your emailed newsletter, please click through to the site and view it there.)

Category: Fun Fridays

Monday Moments – April 6, 2026

By Steve Laubeon April 6, 2026

Today’s moment is the second in a series of brief meditations I’ve created based on my new book, Sacred Margins: On the Spiritual Life of a Writer. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. The transcript of the video is below. If you cannot see the video, click through to our website or to YouTube, where you can view it. The book itself will be released on May 19th in paperback, …

Category: Sacred Margins, The Writing Life, Theology

A Dark Friday Meditation

By Steve Laubeon April 3, 2026

The hill receives him as it had received many before. Yet the burden Jesus carries is unlike any other. The gathered ruin of all humanity rests upon him. Our sin was indelibly pressed into his weary shoulders. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). We rarely speak openly of sin, as if we can ignore it and make it theoretical. But on Dark Friday, sin has a certain …

Category: Theology

April Fool’s Day 2026

By Steve Laubeon April 1, 2026

Seven years ago, I played a joke on this blog, and far too many fell for it (and a few were offended). This time, I am going to tell you it is a joke ahead of time and ruin the surprise. This is known as a day when satire like this is okay. _____________ A New Chapter Begins: The Steve Laube Agency Acquired After much prayer, consideration, and a surprising number of Zoom calls involving people …

Category: Humor

In Praise of Slow Writing

By Steve Laubeon March 30, 2026

It seems counterintuitive that an agent would suggest that writers slow down. After all, isn’t the volume of output one of the keys to an author’s success? There is a measure of truth in that, but today I’d like to explore the concept of Slow Writing. Think of it as a leisurely walk in the woods as a child. I remember strolling through sticks and leaves exploring the forest …

Category: Career, Craft, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Writing Craft

Fun Fridays – March 27, 2026

By Steve Laubeon March 27, 2026

Today’s video is fascinating, without a doubt! [If you cannot see the video in your email newsletter, please click through to our website where you can enjoy it on your device.]

Category: Fun Fridays